Women go through a lot of changes in life – from puberty to pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding, aging, and even menopause.
Moreover, as women age, the fibrous tissue in their breasts is replaced by fat. With time, the skin sags and nipples project downwards, especially after menopause. Often, the breast’s appearance may also change as women gain or lose weight.
But thanks to the wonders of certain procedures, such as a breast lift, it’s still possible to restore the breasts’ youthful shape and lift.
Keep on reading to know more about this kind of procedure.
What Is a Breast Lift?
A breast lift or mastopexy is a surgical procedure that tightens and removes excess skin or tissue in drooping breasts to achieve a perkier and more youthful appearance.
While it can be performed as a standalone procedure, it can also be combined with other surgeries such as breast implants or liposuction for a more comprehensive makeover.
How Does It Work?
A breast lift procedure can be performed using a variety of incision patterns and techniques.
There are three common incision patterns: around the areola, around the areola and vertically down from the areola to breast crease, and around the areola, vertically down from the breast crease and horizontally along the breast crease.
Your surgeon will determine the appropriate technique by considering various factors such as:
- Shape and size of breast
- Degree of skin laxity in the area
- Size and position of nipples
Once the surgeon puts the patient under, either through general anesthesia or IV sedation, they’ll carry out the appropriate incision and begin to lift and reshape the breast tissue, remove excess skin, and if necessary, change the position of the nipple and reduce the size of the areola.
The surgeon will then close the incisions to conclude the procedure, which usually takes 2-3 hours.
While there is considerable downtime involved, the surgery is still an outpatient procedure, so you can go home on the same day.
Benefits of a Breast Lift
A breast lift provides a wide array of benefits, including:
- Lifting sagging breasts to restore a perkier and more youthful appearance
- Restore symmetry
- Lifts the areola and reduces nipple and areola size, if desired
- Relatively short down time compared to similar surgical procedures
While the ideal candidate for a breast lift is someone with flat, sagging, or elongated breasts, anyone can get the procedure regardless of their size. Women who’ve given birth and have breastfed would especially benefit from a good breast lift.
Lastly, a breast lift can’t add volume or help create cleavage, but can be paired with an augmentation procedure if you wish to increase the size of your breasts.
Breast Lift Results and Recovery
Most patients are able to go back to their daily routines or to work about a week after the surgery.
However, if your job involves lifting heavy objects, your surgeon might advise you to refrain from doing so for much longer, such as a month.
The results will be noticeable right after, but most of the improvement will take about 3-4 months to fully appear, with the final outcome being more noticeable about a year after the surgery.
Finally, it is essential to choose a surgeon with the right expertise to ensure that you get the best possible results from the procedure.
At The Couture Surgeon, Dr. Julie Ferrauiola’s medical training as surgeon and artistic eye has enabled her to provide countless patients in Bergen County, NJ with beautiful results in the safest way possible.
To know more about the procedure and how it might benefit you, schedule a consultation with her today!
